ADVERTISEMENT

Pulleys and whorls and ratios, oh my!

Nov 3, 2015 - 3 min read

Pulleys and whorls and ratios, oh my! Primary Image

A grouping of 3-ply yarns created by Judith MacKenzie in Ashland Bay’s selection of dyed Merino top and featured in the Summer 2006 issue of Spin Off. Photo by Joe Coca

You never know where a second look will lead you


An image of spindles (with whorls) from the Intentional Spinner.

One of the many great things about being the editor of a magazine on a topic that I love is that every time I turn around, I learn something I actually want to know. In working on our latest DVD workshop with Judith MacKenzie (due out this October) I couldn't help but marvel at what a wealth of information she embodies. I am always fascinated where a conversation with Judith takes my understanding of spinning.

One example of this is back in 2008 when I proofread Judith's book, the _Intentional Spinner, _before it was published. I read a paragraph about wheel mechanics and the term pulley. Like many spinners before me, I had always equated the term for the whorl on a spindle with the wheel system of a spinning wheel. But Judith pointed out that while both share a circular shape, their function is different.

While the whorl on a spindle adds weight and motion (also known as centrifugal force) and by spinning directly inserts twist into the fiber, the wheel on spinning wheel is attached to the bobbin with a drive band creating a pulley system—adding more speed the bigger the difference (or ratio) between the two wheels.


Judith points to the pulley on a wheel in the DVD that accompanies theIntentional Spinner.

And, as happens frequently, reading this little tidbit led to a conversation with Judith and an article in Spin-Off. Our Summer 2011 issue included Judith's article "Is It a Whorl or a Pulley?" in which the paragraph from her book grew into a three-page exploration of history, terminology, and wheel mechanics.

Based on my latest conversations with Judith, I was inspired to take another look at the book and was again impressed with its wealth of knowledge. It is truly a holistic approach to yarn. And while value comes from the broad base of information it covers, I find the true value is where the book takes me. I never know from one time to the next where a provocative sentence or paragraph may lead.

Happy spinning,

ARTICLES FOR YOU